This invention relates generally to a multiple-unit medication container including several unit-dose compartments and more particularly to such a container wherein the unit-dose compartments are formed in a removable liner and sealed by separate covers.
United States Pharmacopeia XXII defines unit-dose container as a single-unit container for articles intended for administration by other than the parenteral route as a single does, direct from the container. Single-unit container is defined as one that is designed to hold a quantity of drug intended for administration as a single dose or a single finished device intended for use promptly after the container is opened. Accordingly, each compartment of a multiple-unit container must meet the above definitions in order to be used in compliance with current federal regulations.
Several such containers have been previously proposed such as those disclosed in Halbich, U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,572 and Keffeler, U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,445. Whereas the Halbich covers are intended to provide an airtight closure for the individual compartments, the lack of any direct connection between each compartment cover and the container itself leaves that container susceptible to undetected displacement of the entire cover assembly for removal of medication from the compartments. The medication dispenser of the inventor's own prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,445 provides a direct connection between each compartment cover and the container, but, like Halbich, allows the medication to contact the reusable container.
Whereas, a reusable medication container is advantageous for greatly reducing the labor required for packaging medication since patient identification and dispensing directions can be secured to the container for use with each refill, it is undesirable to have the medication contaminated by possible dust in the container or cross contaminated by previous medication.
Another problem associated with medication containers is that air and moisture deteriorate certain medications. Pills are not placed in individual tamperproof containers for economical reasons but, with many pills stored in a single container, the removal of one pill admits air and moisture to all of the others.
Other problems and objectives for medication containers include providing truly tamperproof compartments for foolproof monitoring of the medications dispensed and limiting the quantity of pills in the container so that the patient is assured of receiving fresh medication in accordance with a prescription which is regularly reviewed. These and other problems were resolved by the medication dispenser of applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,741,441 and 4,735,318.
In the devices of the '441 and '318 patents, an elongated channel or chamber 32 was provided between the divider walls. The fractured tabs from the individual covers fell into the chamber 32 and could be dumped thereon by removing a closure plate which normally closed the end of the chamber. Even though the fractured tabs could be removed from the chamber of the earlier devices by simply removing the closure plate, it has been found that the need for removing the closure plate and subsequently reinstalling the closure plate involves a step which can be eliminated.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an improved medication dispensing container including means which facilitates the removal of the fractured tabs from the covers.
Another object of the invention is to provide a medication dispenser which is economincal to manufacture, durable in use and refined in appearance.